Palestinians forced into limited ‘humanitarian zone’ by Israeli evacuation orders, facing food scarcity

Young girls were seen pushing and screaming in a crowded food line in southern Gaza, as they tried to reach the front urgently. Rice and chicken were handed out by men as fast as possible, with plates of food falling to the ground due to the chaotic scene. Nearby, boys waited for hours in tightly packed tents to fill plastic containers with water.

Hunger and desperation were pervasive in the tent camp along the Deir al-Balah beachfront after a month of continuous evacuation orders that forced thousands of Palestinians into what the Israeli military termed a “humanitarian zone.” The area had been already crowded by Palestinians seeking refuge from bombardment, but the situation worsened as more evacuees arrived and supplies of food and water diminished.

Recent reports indicate that 84% of Gaza now falls under evacuation orders, and the United Nations estimates that 90% of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents have been displaced during the course of the conflict. Thirteen evacuation orders have been issued since July 22, significantly reducing the size of the initially declared humanitarian zone while pushing more Palestinians into it.

The escalating crisis was aggravated by a decrease in the water supply in Deir al-Balah by at least 70%, along with issues surrounding clean water availability following recent waves of evacuations. Lack of access to water has resulted in health concerns, with reports of the first case of polio confirmed in a 10-month-old baby in Deir al-Balah, who is now paralyzed in the lower left leg.

Aid groups have shared that providing assistance has become increasingly challenging, with reports indicating the United Nations World Food Program lost access to its warehouse in central Deir al-Balah due to a recent evacuation order. Amid these challenges, displaced individuals like Abu Mohammad, who has been displaced seven times, expressed desperation for the situation to improve, highlighting the dire need for essential resources like water and food in the region.